THE death toll from a ferry accident in southeastern Bangladesh three days ago will be more than 200, a government minister said on Monday.
”We are still tabulating figures of bodies recovered from the salvaged vessel as well as those surfaced ones picked up from downstream of the river, but I can tell you it is going to be 200 plus,” said Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain.
He said it seemed there were nearly 400 people on board the ferry when it sank off Satnal, some 50 kilometres southeast of Dhaka, while at least 92 swam to safety or were rescued.
Hossain, whose ministry is in charge of ferry services across the country, said an official statement on the tragedy would be issued later on Monday.
An official at the ministry said privately that the final body count could reach the 300 mark. The exact number of people who had been on the ferry at the time of the accident was unclear, as most Bangladeshi ferries do not maintain passenger lists or even issue tickets. – Sapa-AFP